Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-12-24
THE OFFICIAL REPORT.
The Result OF Engineer Mars Sur
veys for the Larerai Canadian In
terestiug showing.

teresting showing.
The line of the proposed lateral canal
with which the three cities have become
so deeply interested Of late, has been outs
lined in the ARGUS on numerous occasions
but the full text of the report of Engi-
neer Mari of the survey and estimates
for the canal around the upper rapids is
n document of interest to not only TO this
community. but to all the commercial
cities on the upper Mississippi river.
His report is entitled Survey, examina-
ton and estimates for Lateral Canal
from Rapids City, H., at the head of the
Rock Island Rapids, to the government
pool, so called, at Moline, III with gems
eral estimate from the lower end of the
government pool to the city of Rock
Island, or the foot of Sylvan water.
The engineer says:
The sctlai field work for the survey
was completed Oct. 80. Estimates have
been made for each 500 feet of the line,
and for special features wien necessary.
For about two miles below Rapids
City. to avoid heavy rock cutting. the
canal is located in tie Mississippi river
by building IN embankment out from
100 to 300 feet from the Illinois shore.
The upper end of the canal is brought
through low place on the bank at
Rapids City to give better protection TO
the upper end of the canal and lock; but
il on account of right of way or other
reasons it should be considered best to
keep out in the river it could be done at
about the same expense. At other points
along the proposed line of canal the rail-
road is so near the river that the embark
ment has to be built out in the river for a
few hundred feet.
A cross section of the embankment is
as follows: Width Of top ten feet;
width of base. seventy feet area of bro
ken rock section II 56 square yards; out
side pavement "a square yards; inside
pavement one square yard; earth seven
ty five square yards. The broken rock is
estimated at So per cubic yard, paved
protection So per cubic yard, and earth
thirty cents per cubic yard. This esti-
mate gives a cost of S55 so per yard in
length or S97 $50 per mile. Through
the ridge at Hampton occurs the deepest
cutting, and here the width of the canal
would be reduced to 100 feet to save ex,
pense in right of way as well as cutting
The canal at Hampton could be carried
in front along the river very easily, al
though at greater expense A high
way drawbridge would be necessary al
Hampton, also at the road crossing 8
mile below, and here an embankment S0L
feet long would be necessary Al
WATERFOWL wagon drawbridge would
be necessary, and the largest culvert is
necessary at this point The route OF
the canal follows ravine here and the
stream is kept on the south side OF the
canal. From here the canal follows 6
natural ridge to GrinnelPs, which could
be used as one side of the canal.
From below this the embankment in
the river is used again for l, 800 feet, anC
a 24-foot roadway is estimated from here
TO near Moline.
Above one mile above Moline the
banks are mostly rock, but the elevation
OF the canal is such as to nearly clear it
The estimate for the canal only extend,
to the pool, as the government is now
making estimates for the improvement o.
the channel into the pool, which woult
probably answer the purpose of tn,
canal. AT each end of the lateral cana
the lockage is down into the Mississippi
river. A combined lock will be required
at Rapids City for both high and low
water.
The lock at Moline would have t.
overcome lift of 90 feet at extreme Low
water, and is estimated at 700 feet Ion!
with two chambers and three sets of gates
and would contain 1856, coo cubic feet o
water, taking Is minutes to fill and use
From the lower end of the water powe
pool it would appear the most natura
way to lock down directly into the bed o
the old south channel, or Sylvan water
but on account of rock excavation neces
sary for over mile to give the necessar
channel, this would be expensive. TIL
route selected is from the lower end O
the pool across the point of the Island
through low place to the bed of the oil
channel and then using one embankmen
down to the lower end of the Island
The distance across the Island is 2, 10
feet and the embankment would be use
for 1900 feet TO carry the canal down t
locks opposite the city of Rock Island.
The three drawbridges necessary at th
two cities would cost $55, 900, lock tire
$3.50, 900, and other items show a total G
this general estimate of 1874, 475 so; an
the total cost Of the canal of So, OFT ,329,
06. The costiest mile would be the last
eleventh, 1888, S67. go and the cheapest
the eighth, Watertown, $19,576.S0."